Mailing List Archive

On Thursday 08 May 2003 08:22 pm, Joe Villari wrote:
> If I'm using a set top box for over the air HDTV and running that into
> my HTPC, will I be able to MythTV to record it?

Why on earth would you want to do that?

Isaac

Maybe I just don't understand enough.

I've finally decided to take the plunge into HT. I'm buying a projector
and building a linux HTPC. I'm thinking about using a set top box for
over the air HDTV. My understanding that HDTV capture cards don't have
linux supported drivers. I also want the functionality of MythTV.

Are you saying this not the best way? I'm guessing the quality of the
recorded HDTV should be OK just labor intensive for the HTPC.

Is MythTV better suited for non-HDTV signals?

Thanks Again
Joe

Isaac Richards wrote:
> On Thursday 08 May 2003 08:22 pm, Joe Villari wrote:
>
>>If I'm using a set top box for over the air HDTV and running that into
>>my HTPC, will I be able to MythTV to record it?
>
>
> Why on earth would you want to do that?
>
> Isaac
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users@snowman.net
> http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>

On Friday 09 May 2003 09:05 am, Joe Villari wrote:
> Maybe I just don't understand enough.
>
> I've finally decided to take the plunge into HT. I'm buying a projector
> and building a linux HTPC. I'm thinking about using a set top box for
> over the air HDTV. My understanding that HDTV capture cards don't have
> linux supported drivers. I also want the functionality of MythTV.
>
> Are you saying this not the best way? I'm guessing the quality of the
> recorded HDTV should be OK just labor intensive for the HTPC.
>
> Is MythTV better suited for non-HDTV signals?

You're going to take your nice, clean, high resolution HDTV signal, cut it
down to 480i, stuff it into a tuner card, and recompress it? You'll see
absolutely none of the benefits of using that several hundred dollar HDTV OTA
settop box. Why would you want to do that?

Isaac

I understand now. Thanks Isaac. HDTV is still confusing to me, but I'm
learning.

Thanks
Joe

Isaac Richards wrote:
> On Friday 09 May 2003 09:05 am, Joe Villari wrote:
>
>>Maybe I just don't understand enough.
>>
>>I've finally decided to take the plunge into HT. I'm buying a projector
>>and building a linux HTPC. I'm thinking about using a set top box for
>>over the air HDTV. My understanding that HDTV capture cards don't have
>>linux supported drivers. I also want the functionality of MythTV.
>>
>>Are you saying this not the best way? I'm guessing the quality of the
>>recorded HDTV should be OK just labor intensive for the HTPC.
>>
>>Is MythTV better suited for non-HDTV signals?
>
>
> You're going to take your nice, clean, high resolution HDTV signal, cut it
> down to 480i, stuff it into a tuner card, and recompress it? You'll see
> absolutely none of the benefits of using that several hundred dollar HDTV OTA
> settop box. Why would you want to do that?
>
> Isaac
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users@snowman.net
> http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>

Joe Villari wrote:

> My understanding that HDTV capture cards don't have linux supported
> drivers.

I think that's the only real way, if you want to take advantage of HDTV.
(Unless there are settopboxes which give you the MPEG2 data stream via a
computer interface, but i haven't seen one yet.) Search on the net for
"HDTV Linux", A few links I found with a quick search:

<http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-dvb@convergence.de/msg00028.html>
<http://www.gnu.org/software/gnuradio/gnuradio.html> (wild, indeed)
<http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=209915>
<http://sourceforge.net/projects/linuxhdtv> (no code, no website, one
developer - seems useless)
<http://www.google.com/search?q=+site:www.mail-archive.com+HDTV+linux>

There are a few posibilities, some you found below. But certainly
nothing in the average consumers budget anywhere close to functional.
What's really needed is for one of the current HD tuner card makers
to release specs to allow others to write a good driver. However
I think the biggest problem is these makers don't even own the rights
to their chipsets, so even if they wanted to release these specs,
they can't. Take the Hauppauge HDTV card, if they could release
the specs so a good driver could be written, I bet they would have
sales they never would believe (just look how the PVR250 is
catching on with a RE driver). But from what I've heard,
there was a NDA required to get rights to the chipset.

When will companies wake up??

Brian


On Fri, 9 May 2003, Ben Bucksch wrote:

> Joe Villari wrote:
>
> > My understanding that HDTV capture cards don't have linux supported
> > drivers.
>
> I think that's the only real way, if you want to take advantage of HDTV.
> (Unless there are settopboxes which give you the MPEG2 data stream via a
> computer interface, but i haven't seen one yet.) Search on the net for
> "HDTV Linux", A few links I found with a quick search:
>
> <http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-dvb@convergence.de/msg00028.html>
> <http://www.gnu.org/software/gnuradio/gnuradio.html> (wild, indeed)
> <http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=209915>
> <http://sourceforge.net/projects/linuxhdtv> (no code, no website, one
> developer - seems useless)
> <http://www.google.com/search?q=+site:www.mail-archive.com+HDTV+linux>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users@snowman.net
> http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>
>

Does anyone know anything about this fusion hdtv card? I haven't found
anything aboutl inux drivers, but it is 878 based, so it should be
easier than most cards. It does do software decoding of the stream, but
would an mpeg decoder card potentially be able to help, that or an
accelerated graphics card. I noticed that the card says it needs lower
cpu requirements with a directX video card. Also since ATSC streams are
already compressed, if the stream could be pulled from the card, would
it be very difficult to add to myth? Forgiev me for my ignorance,I'm
just looking for the mythical conversion box everyone has talked
about.....that handles HDTV as well.


Jason Schloer
Tango Enterprises, Inc.
11150 Sunset Hills Rd., #250
Reston, VA 20190
Tel: 703-964-4000
Fax: 703-964-4600


-----Original Message-----
From: mythtv-users-bounces@snowman.net
[mailto:mythtv-users-bounces@snowman.net] On Behalf Of Brian Foddy
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2003 5:12 PM
To: Discussion about mythtv
Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] HDTV

There are a few posibilities, some you found below. But certainly
nothing in the average consumers budget anywhere close to functional.
What's really needed is for one of the current HD tuner card makers
to release specs to allow others to write a good driver. However
I think the biggest problem is these makers don't even own the rights
to their chipsets, so even if they wanted to release these specs,
they can't. Take the Hauppauge HDTV card, if they could release
the specs so a good driver could be written, I bet they would have
sales they never would believe (just look how the PVR250 is
catching on with a RE driver). But from what I've heard,
there was a NDA required to get rights to the chipset.

When will companies wake up??

Brian


On Fri, 9 May 2003, Ben Bucksch wrote:

> Joe Villari wrote:
>
> > My understanding that HDTV capture cards don't have linux supported
> > drivers.
>
> I think that's the only real way, if you want to take advantage of
HDTV.
> (Unless there are settopboxes which give you the MPEG2 data stream via
a
> computer interface, but i haven't seen one yet.) Search on the net for

> "HDTV Linux", A few links I found with a quick search:
>
> <http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-dvb@convergence.de/msg00028.html>
> <http://www.gnu.org/software/gnuradio/gnuradio.html> (wild, indeed)
> <http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=209915>
> <http://sourceforge.net/projects/linuxhdtv> (no code, no website, one
> developer - seems useless)
> <http://www.google.com/search?q=+site:www.mail-archive.com+HDTV+linux>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users@snowman.net
> http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>
>

_______________________________________________
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mythtv-users@snowman.net
http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

Jason Schloer wrote:

>Does anyone know anything about this fusion hdtv card? I haven't found
>anything aboutl inux drivers, but it is 878 based, so it should be
>easier than most cards. It does do software decoding of the stream, but
>would an mpeg decoder card potentially be able to help, that or an
>accelerated graphics card. I noticed that the card says it needs lower
>cpu requirements with a directX video card. Also since ATSC streams are
>already compressed, if the stream could be pulled from the card, would
>it be very difficult to add to myth? Forgiev me for my ignorance,I'm
>just looking for the mythical conversion box everyone has talked
>about.....that handles HDTV as well.
>
>
>Jason Schloer
>Tango Enterprises, Inc.
>11150 Sunset Hills Rd., #250
>Reston, VA 20190
>Tel: 703-964-4000
>Fax: 703-964-4600
>
>
From what I understand this card has a tuner not recognized by the
linux bttv driver (Sony I believe).

Before this card can even be supported by linux you have to consider the
demand software playback of HDTV will put on a system. In the Windows
world Microsoft has a DirectX api called DXVA which will offload mpeg2
decoding onto the video card. If your video card does not have the
necessary hardware you'll need a 2GHZ+ P4 for full software decoding of
1080i HDTV streams. ATI Radeons and certain NVIDIA cards have hardware
support for IDCT and motion compensation.

The good news is that Nvidia has support for an API in their binary only
drivers to access his hardware. From appendix P in the release notes:
ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/1.0-4363/README.txt

(app-p) APPENDIX P: XVMC SUPPORT
__________________________________________________________________________

This release includes support for the X-Video Motion Compensation (XvMC)
version 1.0 API on GeForce4 and GeForce FX products only. There is a static
library "libXvMCNVIDIA.a" and a dynamic one "libXvMCNVIDIA_dynamic.so"
which is suitable for dlopening. GeForce4 MX and GeForce FX products support
both XvMC's "IDCT" and "motion-compensation" levels of acceleration.
GeForce4 Ti products only support the motion-compensation level. AI44 and IA44


subpictures are supported. 4:2:0 Surfaces up to 2032x2032 are supported.